Present Problems

So, I'm picking out a present for my cousin (she is turning 3) and everything out there is either hellishly expensive, totally consumerized (has no purpose, just draws her back to the show), or, if its actually creative or active, takes a week to put together. Does anyone know some toy for her (please provide link) that defies these three? I don't mind if it has a character on it, but it needs to have some purpose. (i.e. art play, active play, imaginary play.)

Offhand, I'd say puzzles -- the Melissa and Doug brand has a lot for kids this age. You could do a 24 or a 48 piece. My 4 y.o. loves these, and they have a lot of themes and can teach the alphabet, as well. This is just one example, but you could find others on amazon or in just about any toy store or even a lot of bookstores locally.

i'm a mom of 7, grandmom of 19 [at last count]... and i always favor giving children things that stir the imagination and that they can do for themselves, not just push buttons/keys and have done for them... here's what i've found to be the greatest gifts for that age:

That book is fucking awesome. It's 60 goddamn years old and still sells boatloads for goddamn good reason. It's covered in textures for the child to experience, you can pat the bunny, and feel a shiny mirror, and feel daddies stubble.

I had 3 copies during my infancy because I loved it so much I patted the fur off two bunnies.

I forgot to recommend Playmobils. I realize that they're in the Plastic Toy category, but they have a huge variety of themes, and I think that they have a long, long play value. (I just Googled for age range and found a forum discussion somewhere with people saying that everyone from toddlers to young teens love the things. Actually, I love the things and I'm over forty. If I had the room, I'd declare a playroom and fill it with Playmobils.)